


Dinner Conversation

by LaufeiaEvans



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi, Polyamory Big Bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaufeiaEvans/pseuds/LaufeiaEvans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter are a disgustingly happy couple is common knowledge. It’s not like they’re discreet about walking around together, hand in hand, looking for all the world like they have eyes only for each other. But when Steve turns up one day with a tall, handsome stranger, Tony Stark can’t help but notice. And point it out to everyone in the vicinity. And then proceed to grate everyone’s nerves for the next week as he refuses to shut up about it. In his defense, it does look pretty suspicious. And despite Rhodey and Pepper’s protests, he’s going to get to the bottom of it if it kills him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s Pepper who notices first.  
They’re sitting in their local bagel shop, getting breakfast as usual, when Tony utters a low growl of “What the hell.”  
She looks up at him. “Something wrong?”  
He gestures wildly to the front of the cafe. “Look at that!”  
She looks up, following his gaze. The cafe is mostly empty, save for them and a few of Pepper’s business school classmates. But where he’s staring stand a scrawny, tattooed blond and a much taller man with a metal arm, which is currently wrapped around the blond’s shoulders. She blinks.   
“Are you talking about the couple over there? Because I don’t see--”  
“That’s Steve Rogers,” he interjects. He stares at her as if she should definitely know exactly what he’s talking about. Which, of course, she doesn’t.  
“Okay?” She gives him a look of desperate confusion, but finally decides it’s too early for this shit and sighs, taking a swig of her coffee.  
“You don’t…” He shakes his head in disbelief and steels himself, as if he were preparing for some big speech. Oh no.  
“Okay. Pep. Rogers is in here almost every day. He’s got this girl, smoking hot, always following him around like she’s got him on a leash. They’re inseparable.” Tony pauses, waiting for a reaction that Pepper is in no way equipped to provide.  
“I don’t get it,” she says flatly.  
“Look at him!” He gestures to Steve and the brunet. “Him and Soul Surfer over there acting like he doesn’t already have a piece!”  
Pepper stares. “That is so inappropriate.”  
Tony shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. “The point still stands.”  
“Anyway, what does it matter?” She sets down her drink, running a hand through her hair. Sometimes, she wonders why she puts up with Tony’s bullshit. “Maybe he’s just friendly.”  
Unfortunately, Steve chooses that moment to slide his hand into the back pocket of his friend’s jeans and give his ass a not-at-all-subtle squeeze. Tony notices, because of course he does, and he turns back to Pepper with one eyebrow raised. She doesn’t even know how to respond to that.  
“...okay...well...still, it’s none of your business.”  
Tony opens his mouth to protest, but thankfully for Pepper, he’s interrupted by Rhodey appearing behind him.  
“Hey Pep, how’s it going?” he says, sliding into the seat between them, his arm casually draped over the back of Tony’s chair.  
“Oh nothing, just Tony making an ass of himself,” Pepper sighs, taking another long swig of her coffee.  
Rhodey snorts. “As usual.”  
“That hurts, sugarbutt,” Tony says with mock offense, hand over his heart. Rhodey rolls his eyes.  
“Anyway,” he says, turning back to Pepper. She groans. “I suspect there’s something shady going on here, and I’m going to figure it out.”  
“You do that.”  
“What’s he on about?” Rhodey says, stealing a bite of Tony’s breakfast. He glares at Rhodey but doesn’t comment.  
Pepper shakes her head, waving her half-finished bagel towards Steve, who is now sitting across from the mystery guy a few tables away. “Something about that guy coming in here with two different people, because apparently that’s a huge deal.”  
“Nobody gets that close with people for no reason, Pepper! Something is happening here!”  
Ignoring Tony’s outbursts, Rhodey sneaks a glance behind them. “Oh hey!” he says, waving over at the man with Steve. “James!”  
The brunet starts at the call, but grins in recognition when he sees Rhodey. “Hey, man! Haven’t seen you in a while.”  
“You two know each other?” Tony says, twisting around in his seat to get a better look at James. He’s crossing the cafe now, reaching out to shake Rhodey’s hand.  
“We served together,” Rhodey explains, and now that he’s closer, Pepper can see the crossed rifles tattooed on James’s upper chest. She tries her best not to stare.  
“107th,” James confirms. Steve appears behind him, leaning against his arm. He’s at least a foot shorter than James, and probably the skinniest person Pepper has ever seen.  
“Who’s this?” Steve says, nodding to Rhodey.  
“Jim Rhodes,” Rhodey says, shaking Steve’s hand as well. He pats Tony on the back, ushering him forward. Tony leans around his boyfriend and flashes Steve a forced smile. “This is Tony.”  
“Good to meet you,” Tony says, eyeing Steve and James suspiciously. To his credit, Steve falters only slightly under his gaze. Pepper scoffs, rolling her eyes.  
“I’m Pepper,” she says, and all four of them turn to look at her, seeming to have forgotten that she was there. She smiles brightly and extends her hand to James.  
“James Barnes,” he says, shaking it. His hands are big and warm, and his smile is bordering on flirtatious when he says, “Call me Bucky, though.” And then he fucking winks.  
Pepper swallows hard, nodding. Tony raises an eyebrow but thankfully has the decency to stay silent.  
Steve coughs, and she realizes too late that she’s forgotten to let go of Bucky’s hand. She draws back, face flushing, and reaches for her coffee cup.  
“So, I’ll see you around?” Bucky turns back to Rhodey, who nods.  
“Yeah, man. I’m here with this one almost every day.” He nudges Tony, who scowls, but his eyes are fond.  
Steve takes Bucky’s hand, all but dragging him away, and Pepper feels slightly guilty. She turns back to Rhodey, who has a knowing smirk on his face, and fixes him with her best don’t-fuck-with-me glare.  
“I need to get to class,” she says dryly, reaching for her bag.  
“Yeah, you do that,” Rhodey drawls, expression unchanged, and oh, God, Tony’s doing it too.  
She pointedly ignores them as she grabs the rest of her coffee and heads off, heels clicking against the tiles as she runs for the door.

It doesn’t stop there.  
From that moment on, Tony decides he’s making it his personal mission to find out the truth about Steve Rogers and his mystery lover(s). Unfortunately for Pepper and Rhodey, it means they’re now collateral damage in his public outbursts. Rhodey is clearly used to this, but it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.  
“Look, honey bunch,” he explains with a dramatic sigh. “Not that I ever would, you know that...but if I was cheating on you with Pepper, you’d want to know about it, right?”  
He’s met with twin glares from both of them.  
“You would, wouldn’t you?”  
Pepper’s eyes roll skyward. “He wouldn’t have to, because that would not happen.”  
“It’s a thought experiment!”  
Pepper shakes her head and turns instead to look at Steve and Bucky, who have just entered the shop, arms wrapped around each other’s waists. She pointedly ignores the distressed noise that Tony makes and instead chooses to focus on Bucky’s low-cut shirt, showing off the tattoos on his chest extremely well.  
Pepper’s not about to deny it - Bucky is hot. He’s got the bad boy look that every girl she’s ever met has secretly had a thing for. She remembers Rhodey saying that they’d served together, and she can totally get behind the retired-army-guy-turned-punk-biker aesthetic he has going on. And on top of that, he’s nice - the man is practically oozing charm. She’s not a homewrecker, and she certainly isn’t about to mess with what looks to be a very happy relationship. But nobody’s going to stop her from looking.  
She’s vaguely aware of Tony continuing his rant from earlier, but in a more hushed tone, when Bucky turns and sees them. Rhodey is too busy talking to Tony to notice him, but Pepper’s looking right at him, and he smiles brightly when he notices her. He gives a little wave, and she bites her lip, flushing slightly as she returns it.  
Tony clears his throat behind her, and she turns to see the two of them looking at her incredulously. Her cheeks flush bright red, and she avoids their eyes as she hides her face behind her half-eaten bagel.  
“Enjoying the view, Pep?” Tony asks with a grin, and Rhodey snickers. She scoffs and waves them away.  
“Don’t you have some relationship mystery to debunk?”  
Rhodey looks like he could kill her when Tony takes a deep breath and starts up again.

She meets Peggy a few days later. Or, to be fair, she realizes that Peggy was the girl in this entourage Tony is obsessing over a few days later, when she enters their usual bagel shop in the afternoon after class. Pepper’s known her for years, had taken a few classes with her in their undergrad at Columbia, and they still talk periodically. She’s a law student, and frequently dubbed “hell in high heels” by any and all of the boys who had dared to cross her.  
“Virginia!” the brunette calls from across the shop, in her bright British accent. Pepper’s head jerks up and she sees her running towards their table. She smiles.  
“Peggy!” she shouts, laughing as her old friend hugs her tightly. Steve waits a few feet behind her, smiling fondly.  
“I haven’t seen you in ages!” She glances between Tony, Rhodey, and Natasha, Pepper’s Russian exchange student friend from her finance class. “Who’re your friends?”  
“Jim Rhodes,” Rhodey says immediately, extending his hand. She shakes it. “I met Steve a while ago. He was here with a guy I met in the army.”  
Tony practically glares a hole through her skull as he waits for her response. She laughs good-naturedly and glances back to Steve. “Oh, you know James?” Steve nods as he sidles up to her.  
“They served together,” he supplies helpfully.  
Rhodey realizes Tony is still staring, so he nudges him roughly. Tony looks up at him and scowls. He shakes his head. “This eloquent gentleman here is Tony Stark.”  
“Ah, the famous Tony,” she says as she extends her hand. He shakes it, forcing a smile.  
“You know me?” he says with false gaiety.  
“Virginia talked a lot about you. We were in school together a few years ago.”  
“Oh, is that so?”  
Pepper coughs loudly. Subtlety has never been Tony’s strong suit. She glances up at Peggy with a too-sweet smile. “This is Natasha,” she says, gesturing to the redhead sitting next to her. Natasha gives a tight smile, but doesn’t move.  
“She doesn’t really speak English,” Tony stage-whispers to Peggy. Natasha doesn’t comment, she just looks back down at her hands and continues eating her bagel.  
“Well, it was good to see you again,” Pepper says, her voice just a bit too high. “Maybe we can meet back here sometime and catch up...you know, alone?”  
“I’d like that.” Peggy turns and reaches for Steve’s hand, causing Tony to practically jump out of his seat. “See you around, yeah?”  
“See ya,” Pepper calls after her, and she and Rhodey wait until the couple is a safe distance away before simultaneously reaching across the table to smack Tony on the arm.  
“Ow!” He jumps back, rubbing both arms.  
“Don’t be fucking rude,” Pepper hisses.  
“What?”  
“It’s none of your business,” Rhodey says with a finality that only he can get across. “Just eat your damn food.”

\--

Once they’re a safe distance away from Virginia and her friends, Peggy leans in next to Steve. “What is up with that Tony?” she whispers, mostly curious but also mildly concerned.  
Steve snickers. “What, the guy with the beard? Oh, he was like that before.” He sneaks a glance over his shoulder and quickly turns back to her, lowering his voice. “He’s in here a lot. Usually, I’m with you, but since we stopped going in the mornings, I’ve been bringing Bucky.”  
Just like that, it clicks. “Ohh,” she says slowly.  
Steve clicks his tongue. “I didn’t think anyone would notice, but apparently I was wrong.”  
“Are you going to tell him?”  
Steve looks at her with a glint in his eye that tells her that’s exactly the opposite of what he’s going to do.  
“Why answer a question you were never asked?”  
Peggy shakes her head, laughing. “You’re a piece of work, Steve.”  
They pick up their bagels and find a table near the back. She kicks off her heels under the table, sighing at the loss of pressure on her feet. Steve sits down across from her, and she gently caresses his leg with her bare foot, causing him to jolt in surprise. She smirks.  
“So, you knew her?” Steve asks as he clears his throat, nodding towards the table near the front. Jim and Tony have left, leaving Virginia sitting with her foreign friend. Peggy drops her foot and nods.  
“We had classes together. She was a Business major. Very smart, never took anyone’s shit.”  
“I can see why you got along.”   
“We did have that in common,” she says with a wink.  
“What about the redhead?”  
“Never met her.” Peggy studies her carefully as she sips her coffee. She doesn’t say anything, just listens to Virginia talking about her friends, but there’s the smallest smile on her face, and she’s listening intently.  
“Do you think they…” Steve begins, voicing the same thought she’d had.  
“I’m not sure.”  
Steve grins mischievously. “Poly-radar powers not working today?”  
Peggy laughs aloud. Having been one of the first people to realize that Steve was bisexual, before he’d even told her, she’s always joked with him about her supernatural ability to determine when someone fell more towards the middle of the Kinsey scale. She’s exercised this power more over the years, but it’s not an exact science, and she’s not getting any particular vibe from either of the girls across the shop.  
“Mm, well I’ve known Virginia longer than I’ve had the power,” she teases, and Steve nods in understanding. “And I’m not getting much from Natasha.”  
“Well, my non-superhuman powers are telling me that she’s definitely hanging on Virginia’s every word. And I don’t think it’s just because she’s having trouble understanding her English.”  
Peggy looks over at him and smiles. “Am I sensing a matchmaking mission about to begin?”  
Steve laughs, ducking his head bashfully and taking a sip of his drink. “Not sure we know them well enough. And besides, they could already be together.”  
She watches the pair thoughtfully as Natasha steals a sip of Virginia’s coffee. “Perhaps you’re right,” she says, smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite Rhodey’s attempts to shut Tony up about Steve and his potential lovers, the man refuses to let it go. Every time the three of them get together for coffee and bagels, Steve shows up with one or the other and Tony has something to say about it. And, loathe as he is to admit it, Rhodey’s starting to wonder about it as well.  
Because seriously? Steve and James are ridiculously close. They’re always touching each other, more so even than he and Tony. They’ve never been big on PDA, true, but he likes the little things, like having his arm around Tony when they’re sitting at their usual table in the shop. But these two take it to a whole other level. It wouldn’t be so weird if it weren’t for the fact that Steve does the exact same thing with Peggy. Rhodey can almost understand Tony’s confusion.  
“If it bothers you so much, why not just ask them?”  
Tony stops mid-sentence and turns to stare at him. “Ask them?”  
“Yes, that’s what I said.”  
“Absolutely not.” Pepper cuts in, narrowing her eyes at both of them. “Tony, that’s enough. This is none of your business, and you don’t just get to pry into people’s personal lives because you--”  
“Professor Stark?”  
They all turn to gape at the stranger approaching their table. Rhodey thinks he’s seen the man before, but he can’t think of his name. Tony sighs.  
“Bruce, c’mon, I told you, just call me Tony.”  
Bruce flushes, wringing his hands around the files he’s holding. “R-right, sorry...um...Tony, I have those case studies you asked for.”  
“Oh, sweet. Already? Great, fantastic, just let me…” He slides out of his seat and shuffles around the table, reaching for the files in Bruce’s hands.  
“Everything’s there, the whole write-up and all my notes. I, um...we can sit down and discuss it, if you’d like?”  
“Yeah, sure, sounds good. You free now? I’m not busy.”  
Rhodey and Pepper exchange looks of incredulity.  
“Y-yeah, I don’t have a class until 4.”  
“Awesome.” Tony slings an arm around Bruce’s shoulders, much to the taller man’s surprise. “C’mon, let’s head down to the lab.” He takes a step, then thinks better of it. Glancing back over his shoulder, he gives Rhodey a sympathetic look.  
“Okay if I leave, pooh bear?”  
Rhodey fights the urge to roll his eyes, instead waving Tony away with the barest hint of a smile. “Have fun.”  
Tony flashes him a winning grin. “You’re the best.”  
Tony grabs his shoulder and gives him a loud, sloppy kiss on the cheek before spinning back around to drag Bruce out of the shop. Rhodey scowls. He turns back to Pepper, who’s staring at him with one eyebrow raised.  
“Don’t say it.”  
“Wasn’t going to.” She smirks viciously as she sips her coffee, a long, slow drag.  
“Why don’t you just get married already?”  
Rhodey jumps. He’d nearly forgotten about Natasha, the newest addition to their group. He’s doubly surprised to hear her speak, since, much like Tony, he’d been under the impression that she didn’t know English.  
Pepper snickers. “Well it’s not like they aren’t already.”  
Natasha smirks, eyeing him knowingly as she chows down. This woman eats like a ravenous lion. It would be disgusting if she weren’t so graceful doing it.  
“We are not.” He crosses his arms defiantly. Then, because it’s Pepper and she would have figured it out eventually, he adds a mumbled, “Yet.”  
Pepper chuckles, sipping her coffee, and then it slowly registers. She looks up in shock. He grins.  
“Oh my god.”  
His smile widens, and Pepper’s jaw drops.  
“Oh my god!”  
Natasha looks between the two of them, momentarily confused, but she seems to pick up on it pretty quickly, and she looks back to Rhodey with a satisfied smirk.  
“You’re not serious. Tell me you’re joking. You’re not--Rhodey!”  
“Shh, keep your voice down.” He glances around them, just in case, but the shop is nearly empty.  
“You’re proposing?”  
He smiles. In truth, he’s been thinking about this for several months now, but it wasn’t until last week that he’d finally gone out and actually bought a ring. He hasn’t told anyone yet, wanting Tony to be the first to know, but with the way his nerves have been since he started carrying the damn thing around, waiting for the right moment, he’s surprised Pepper hasn’t noticed something was up. Of course, he wouldn’t have so much trouble finding the time for it if it weren’t for this damn Steve situation. But that’s what life with Tony is like, and frankly, he should be used to that by now.  
“Yeah, I bought the ring last week,” he says.  
Pepper shrieks, nearly knocking over the table as she reaches over to hug him. He laughs into her shoulder, shaking his head.  
“Oh my god, I can’t believe it! I mean, finally, it’s taken you long enough, how long has it been now? Six years?”  
“Seven in January.”  
“Oh my god!” She shrieks again.  
“Pepper, seriously, calm down,” he says, hand on her arm. He’s smiling, though. It’s good to know she approves.  
“Okay, okay, I’m calm.” She sits back, straightening her hair, and takes a deep breath. Her face breaks out in a grin again.  
“Can I see the ring?”  
“Only if you promise not to pass out,” he jokes, but he’s already reaching for the box in his coat pocket. Pepper vibrates with excitement, and Natasha stares at her, amused. He slides the box across the table, and both women reach for it, staring incredulously at the ring inside. It’s a simple gold band with a small diamond, nothing too fancy, but Pepper gasps anyway.  
“Oh my god, it’s beautiful,” she breathes. “Oh, he’ll love it.”  
“I hope so,” Rhodey says, and he reaches for the box. Pepper snaps it closed and passes it back.  
“When are you going to ask him?” Natasha says in a thick Russian accent. Rhodey’s still taken aback by hearing her speak, but Pepper seems unfazed.  
“I’m not sure yet,” he says absently, turning the ring box over in his hand. “I’ve been waiting for the right time, but...I dunno. And now he’s all messed up over this Steve business.”  
Natasha snorts. “He is so dim.”  
Rhodey and Pepper exchange confused glances. “What do you mean?” Pepper asks.  
Natasha looks between them. “What, do you not know?”  
Pepper shakes her head. Natasha sighs.  
“Never mind.” She picks up what’s left of her coffee and slides out of her seat. “Perhaps you will not understand. Pepper, I will see you tomorrow.”  
“Bye, Natasha,” Pepper says, sounding a little dazed. She waits until Natasha is out of earshot before turning back to Rhodey, her look of shock matching his.  
“What’s she talking about?”  
Rhodey shakes his head. “No idea.”

\--

Steve’s asthma has always made it difficult for him to exercise frequently, but he’s also a major believer in the curative powers of a morning run, so every day before work he makes a point to at least jog around the block before getting breakfast. Bucky used to come with him, walking briskly at his side so they could talk without Steve struggling to keep up. Since his discharge, though, Bucky has preferred to sleep late into the morning, and Peggy has work during the week, so Steve usually finds himself running alone.  
Today, he’s up especially early, and so he takes his time on his usual morning route. This early on a Saturday, almost no one is up. He jogs leisurely around the block, taking in the cool September breeze.  
As he turns the corner, Steve sees someone slumped over on the ground next to a tree. He’s catching his breath, probably after running around the block a few times. Steve’s seen him before, but he’s almost always finished running and headed for home before Steve gets the chance to say anything. Steve slows down a bit as he passes, watching the man lean back against the tree. Making a quick decision, he crosses the street and comes to a stop in front of the other man.  
“Need a hand?”  
He looks up, confused, and Steve grins. Recognition dawns on his face, and he returns the smile, reaching for Steve’s hand.  
“Oh, yeah, thanks.”  
Steve drags him up, stumbling back slightly. He’s much taller than Steve, and much larger, but his smile is warm and unintimidating.  
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met you properly,” Steve says. The man looks him up and down, and Steve feels vaguely self-conscious.  
“Mm, don’t think so. I’m Sam.” He shakes Steve’s hand with both of his as he steadies himself.  
“Steve.” He studies Sam, noticing his NYU sweatshirt. “So, are you a student, or…”  
Sam laughs. “Do I look that young?” Steve opens his mouth to apologize, but Sam holds up a hand to stop him. “Kidding. I am, actually.” He leans against the tree, bringing him closer to Steve’s height. “Going back now I’m out of the army.”  
“Oh, you were in the army?”  
“Yeah, a while ago.”  
“Why’d you get out? If...if you’re okay telling me, I mean.”  
“Nah, it’s fine.” Same waves him away, but there’s something in his eyes, and he avoids Steve’s gaze. “I, um...I lost someone. My wingman, Riley.”  
Steve’s face falls. “Oh, I’m sorry.”  
“Yeah.” He laughs dryly. “I mean, it was a while ago, but...he was…”  
“You were close?” Steve says understandingly. Sam nods.  
“Engaged.”  
Steve’s eyes widen. “Oh, wow.”  
Sam takes a deep breath and looks up. “Yeah, but I’m back now, so I figured...I dunno, maybe I could go into counseling. You know, help people like me out.”  
Steve nods incredulously. “That’s...actually really brave of you.”  
Sam laughs. “Yeah, thanks. So what about you? What do you do?”  
“Well, I graduated a few years ago. Art student.” He waves his arm, indicating the cityscape on his right shoulder - his own design. “I’m working at Odin’s now.”  
“Wow, a tattoo guy,” says Sam, sounding genuinely impressed.  
“Yeah, if it wasn’t obvious.” He resists the urge to wrap his arms around himself as Sam examines his sleeves.  
“Impressive. You know, I was actually looking at getting something done.”  
“Oh really?”  
“Yeah. Something for Riley, you know?”  
“Well, drop by sometime. I wouldn’t mind inking you.” Steve regrets the flirty comment immediately, but Sam doesn’t appear to mind.  
“Oh, is that how it is?” he says, grinning slyly. Steve bites his lip.  
“If you’re into it.”  
Sam stares at him for a few seconds, then says, “Do you make a habit of flirting with random joggers?”  
Steve’s eyes shine as he says, “Only the cute ones.”  
It’s difficult to tell, but he’s pretty sure Sam blushes. He clears his throat and chuckles. “Hey, you know, I was about to go get breakfast. Want to tag along?”  
Steve pretends to consider it thoughtfully. “Hmm, maybe…” He looks up, and Sam is laughing. “Where?”  
“This bagel place on 108th and Broadway.”  
“Oh, no way! I go there all the time.”  
“Oh really?” Sam grins.  
“Yeah. I could go for some breakfast right now.”  
“Alright, c’mon. I’ll buy you a bagel.”

They arrive at the shop after Steve shoots Peggy a quick text to say that he’ll be home later that morning. As they enter, Steve can immediately see that Tony and co. are at their usual table. The woman - Virginia, Peggy had called her - does a double take when he enters, but thankfully says nothing.  
“Have you tried the Thai iced tea?” Sam says excitedly, leading him up to the counter.  
“I don’t think I have. I hear it’s good.”  
At the sound of his voice, the group behind them stops talking. Steve tries not to look at them. Sam continues as if nothing had happened.  
“You’re missing out, man. Here, try it now. My treat.” He claps Steve on the shoulder, and jumps back immediately at the loud clamoring from behind Steve. Steve sighs heavily and turns to look. Virginia and Jim are both glaring daggers at Tony, who is straightening himself after what Steve guesses was a rather violent expression of distress. Virginia groans when she sees Steve looking and slams her head on the table. Steve looks at Jim and smiles apologetically.  
“Everything okay?”  
Instead of answering, Jim turns to Tony. “Get up,” he says gently but firmly. “We’re leaving.”  
Tony looks like he’s about to protest, but he sighs and pulls himself up. “Fine.”  
Steve watches them leave and turns back to Sam, who’s staring at him, dumbfounded. He shakes his head and places their order before turning back to Steve. “Do you know them?” he whispers.  
Steve laughs nervously. “No, not really. We’ve met a few times. They’re regulars here.”  
Sam nods slowly, gaze shifting to just past Steve. Steve turns around and sees Virginia, standing and running her hands through her hair.  
“I am so sorry,” she says wearily, and Steve smiles.  
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”  
Virginia looks like she’s about to say something, but Sam cuts her off with a gasp of, “Damn, you like Best Nauticals?”  
She looks down at her acid-washed band shirt and laughs. “Yeah, I saw them last spring.”  
“No way!” Sam’s face lights up and Steve laughs, amused.  
“Have you heard their new album yet?”  
“No, I couldn’t find it anywhere.”  
“I have it,” Steve interjects, and Sam turns to him, jaw dropping.  
“For real?”  
“Yeah, back at my apartment. You wanna borrow it?”  
“Hell yeah, man!” Sam holds up his hand for a high five and Steve laughs, obliging him.  
Virginia looks between the two of them, looking much more relaxed. “Well, I should get going. Have fun with your hipster music.”  
“Hey, whoa, don’t be like that,” Sam says in mock offense. “You’re the one in the shirt.”  
She grins mischievously. “It’s not mine,” she says, before turning on her heel and leaving them there.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony lets Rhodey manhandle him out of the bagel shop, but when they get out to the street and the other man is still dragging him by the shoulder, glaring ahead and pointedly not speaking, he decides enough is enough. Gently, to get Rhodey’s attention but not hurt him, he shoves his arm away and turns to face him, stopping them in the middle of the sidewalk.  
“Pookie, what’s wrong?”  
Rhodey closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, and Tony flinches but doesn’t back down. “You want to know what’s wrong?” He nods, and Rhodey sighs. “Alright. Fine.” He looks around, locating a bench several feet away and out of the stream of foot traffic. “Get over here,” he growls, leading Tony towards the bench. He obliges, sitting down and crossing his arms, looking at Rhodey expectantly.  
“Every fucking time we go out you’ve got something to say about this Rogers kid. Frankly, it’s getting annoying. And that shit,” he gestures to the shop to indicate the previous incident, “Is just rude.”  
Oh, shit. Of course it was that. Admittedly, he knows he’s been kind of overreacting to the whole Steve issue, but it hadn’t yet occurred to him how much it had interfered with Pepper and Rhodey’s lives as well.  
At a loss, he tries for humor. “C’mon, sugar plum, I annoy you every other day. This is nothing new.” He notes Rhodey’s withering glare, and his face softens. “Hey, look at me.” He rests a hand on his boyfriend’s arm. “Is something wrong? If it’s really bothering you…”  
“Yeah, I mean...no, it’s not that.” Rhodey sighs, ducking his head again. “I just...it’s impossible to get a word in with you.”  
“If you have something to say, just say it. I’m always listening.”  
“Yeah, but you’re not. That’s the problem,” Rhodey starts, voice raising again. Tony cuts him off.  
“I’m listening now.”  
Rhodey looks at him, and he can tell right away that his boyfriend recognizes the sincerity in the words. He opens his mouth to speak, appearing to search for the right words, but quickly changes his mind and shakes his head.  
“No, this isn’t...this isn’t right.”  
Tony half-smiles. “Just say it, jesus, it can’t be that--”  
“Will you marry me?”  
His head snaps up, and Rhodey’s looking him directly in the eyes, completely serious. He stammers for a moment, caught entirely off guard.  
“What?” he manages to get out, and Rhodey sighs again, shifting to the edge of the bench.”  
“Tony Stark,” he says heavily, digging in his pocket. He pulls out a black ring box, and Tony gasps aloud.  
“Will you marry me?” he says again, with more finality this time.  
“I...wow...you’re really...um.” Tony can’t believe this. Sure, they’ve been together a long ass time, and it’s not like he can really see himself ever being with anyone else...but he never saw the need to make it official.  
He looks Rhodey straight on. “You really want this.” It’s not a question, and they both know it.  
“I really do.”  
Tony nods, considering. He glances down at the ring box. It’s lying, unopened, in Rhodey’s outstretched palm. Tony reaches for it, closing his hand around the box and Rhodey’s hand.  
“Yes.”  
He can’t fight back a smile at the way Rhodey’s face lights up.  
“Really?”  
“Yeah.” He laughs. “I mean, it’s not like we’re not already a little married. But if you insist.”  
Rhodey’s full-on grinning at this point. He clutches Tony’s hand in both of his, his thumbs gently stroking Tony’s, and Tony gives him a warm smile.  
“I love you.”  
He doesn’t say it very often - it’s not the easiest thing for him to say - but it’s usually implied. He knows Rhodey likes to hear it, though. He’s practically beaming as he leans forward to kiss Tony gently. Tony’s vaguely aware of some people clapping around them, but he doesn’t pay them much attention. He’s still holding the ring box.

\--

While Steve’s out, Bucky and Peggy decide to continue their long-running Mario Kart tournament. Mario Kart is practically a religion in their house, but due to their tendency to get aggressive when battling on a particularly difficult course, Steve has decided a long time ago that it’s best to stay out of it. So it’s something just the two of them share - a rarity for them, but not unheard of.  
Bucky stretches out on the couch, flipping on the system and tossing Peggy a controller. She kicks off her high heels and flops down next to him, stretching her legs across his lap. “You’re going down,” she says with a smirk, and he scoffs.  
“As if.”  
As they’re choosing their racers, Bucky one-hands the controller, using the other to gently massage Peggy’s feet in his lap. She sighs, relaxing back into the couch cushions. The two of them aren’t usually physical the way he and Steve are, especially in public, but sometimes when they’re alone he finds small ways to show his affection. He can tell she appreciates it by the way her face softens as she leans against him.  
But the round is starting now, and he needs both hands. This is no time for loving touches. Game night is serious business. He takes up his controller with both hands, and she straightens up beside him.  
The screaming starts almost immediately after they begin the round. Bucky is loud, both in and out of the bedroom, and this is no exception.  
“Yeah, first place already!” he shouts as he jolts ahead of the other racers. Peggy trails not far behind, but after a moment of adjusting to the angle of her body she’s no longer on his tail.  
“Come on, get the fuck out of my way!” she shouts in frustration as her kart collides with another racer.  
He keeps his eyes glued to the screen, pointedly ignoring the way her thigh presses against his. She’s been known to do that on purpose, and he’s not going to let her distract him this time.  
“Did you just fucking blue-shell me?!” he shouts as his kart tumbles backwards. He can tell without looking that she’s smirking.  
“Yup,” she says.  
He recovers quickly from it, managing to stay ahead of her despite the setback. He bites his lip in concentration, growling out a few profanities here and there. Peggy stays mostly silent, save for a loud snort at his comment about “Baby Peach, you fuckin’ twat.” She’s the “silent but deadly” type of gamer. But perhaps not deadly enough.  
“Fuck yeah!” he shouts as he crosses the finish line. First place, yet again. He throws the controller down and turns to Peggy. “Suck my dick! I fuckin’ won again!”  
Peggy turns back to him after finishing in third. She raises an eyebrow and stares at him until he realizes what he just said. He falters only briefly, staring back and licking his lips with a grin.  
“You heard what I said.”  
She swings her legs off of his lap and drops to the floor before he can fully process what’s going on. She settles between his legs, hands coming to rest on his thighs, and he’s suddenly feeling a lot less cocky. He grins down at her. This is gonna be fun.

\--

Once they’re finished with their bagels, Steve offers again to lend Sam the CD. He accepts somewhat dubiously, not sure if the invitation is a pretense for something else, but finds himself following Steve across the city to his apartment. They chat animatedly on the way, and Sam finds that even with his hipster tendencies, Steve has a particular liking for shitty pop music.  
“It’s like, I don’t really want to live in a world where I can’t like Nicki Minaj and Neutral Milk Hotel,” he huffs as he starts up the stairs. Sam laughs, following him up without comment.  
They reach the door and Steve tries the knob, only to realize it’s locked. “Damn,” he hisses. “I guess they’re not home.”  
Sam’s about to ask who they are when Steve bends over, and yeah, okay, damn. Sam would be lying if he said Steve wasn’t attractive, and he’s got a great ass. He stares for far too long and almost doesn’t notice when Steve stands back up, clutching an extra key in his left hand.  
Sam clears his throat and looks away, but Steve notices - of course he does - and he raises his eyebrows, a tiny smirk appearing on his face. Sam bites his lip, and Steve laughs, turning around to unlock the door.  
“It’s in the bedroom, he says, leading Sam through a cramped kitchen into the living room, where Steve stops short in the doorway with a muttered, “Jesus Christ.”  
Sam looks over his shoulder and definitely isn’t prepared for what he sees.  
A tall, muscular man with a metal arm and tattoos covering his entire upper body is sitting shirtless on Steve’s couch, hastily trying to button his jeans before Steve can enter the room. At his feet sits a curvy brunette in a black skirt and tank top, her hair half out of a high ponytail and her bright red lipstick smeared all across her face.  
Steve buries his face in his hands and heaves a long-suffering sigh. He turns back to Sam and says exasperatedly, “These are my roommates.”  
The woman gives a small nod. “Peggy Carter,” she says in a thick English accent, her voice unexpectedly even.  
“Sam Wilson,” Sam replies uncomfortably, returning the nod.  
“Name’s Bucky,” says the man, already on his feet and extending a hand to Sam. He flashes a charming smile as Sam shakes his hand. “It’s a pleasure.”  
Steve rolls his eyes, leading a bewildered Sam back towards the bedroom. “Anyway…”  
Sam turns back to Steve as he shuts the door, looking embarrassed. He disappears into the closet, searching through a box on the floor. Sam stands back, laughing nervously.  
“Your roommates, huh?”  
Steve groans. “Sorry about that. We don’t generally have guests.”  
Sam nods, clearly amused. “Are they...together?”  
Steve reappears, holding out the CD case. He hands it to the other man with a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Um, we all are.” He sits down on the bed, looking up at Sam with a sheepish smile. “Peggy’s my girlfriend, and Bucky’s my boyfriend.”  
Suddenly, things start to make a lot more sense. He thinks back to the cafe, and how those strangers had reacted when they saw him flirting with Steve. “Oh,” Sam says slowly.  
Steve laughs, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah, it’s…I mean, it’s not like we’re secretive about it, but...most people just don’t ask, you know?”  
Sam nods. “Yeah, I get you. One thing, though.” A sly grin spreads wide on his face. “Do they know you make a habit of flirting with cute joggers?”  
He’s teasing, but Steve blushes anyway. “I, uh…” He looks down, words failing him. Sam almost feels bad, but it’s kind of adorable. “It’s...that’s not against the rules or anything, but -”  
Sam’s eyes widen in mock surprise. “Oh, there’s rules?” he teases, grin widening.  
He’s flirting again. He can’t help it. Steve turns even redder, and Sam fights the urge to laugh. “I...that’s...I just meant...it’s...allowed,” he chokes out. He looks back up at Sam, ridiculously flustered. “It’s not like I’m...cheating. I wouldn’t - I’d never…”  
“Hey, relax, man,” Sam laughs, taking pity on him and cutting him off before he can embarrass himself even further. He rests his hand on Steve’s bony shoulder. “I’m just messing with you. It’s fine.”  
Steve nods, swallowing hard. “I was planning to tell you if we...you know.” He gestures awkwardly between them, looking away. “Took this further. And...and them. I’d tell them too. Obviously.”  
Sam gives him a warm smile, dropping his hand. “Look, I’m flattered, but…” His gaze slips to the closed bedroom door, now hiding Peggy and Bucky from view. “I’m not sure this is something I wanna get into right now.”  
Steve bites his lip. “Ah. I understand.” He smiles apologetically. “It’s not for everyone.”  
“You’re a chill dude, though.” Steve blushes again, and Sam can’t help but smile. “And they seem pretty alright.”  
Steve nods. “Yeah, they are.” He glances in the direction of the door, his gaze nothing but fond. “Fuckin’ crazy, but I love ‘em.”  
Sam leaves him to it for a moment, but finally he clears his throat. “I should probably get going.”  
Steve snaps out of it and stands up quickly. “Yeah, uh...I’d invite you to stay for lunch, but…I think they have other plans.”  
Sam barks a laugh. “Yeah. I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”  
“I’ll see you around?” Steve offers, extending his hand.  
Sam takes it with a grin, but pulls Steve in for a one-armed hug instead, much to the smaller man’s surprise. He laughs, and Sam claps him on the shoulder before releasing him.  
Steve opens the bedroom door and shows him out. Peggy and Bucky have migrated to the couch, thankfully fully clothed, and restarted their game of Mario Kart. Peggy’s legs are draped over Bucky’s lap, and it’s so casual and comfortable that it makes Sam feel weirdly happy.  
“Thanks for the CD,” he says, waving it as he steps past Steve and onto the porch.  
“No problem.” He flashes a bright smile. “See you around.”


	4. Chapter 4

Steve takes his time seeing Sam out the door, making sure to apologize again for his partners’ behavior. Sam assures him it’s not an issue, but that doesn’t stop him from shutting the door and immediately rounding on Bucky.  
“Jesus, have a little decency, won’t you?”  
Bucky looks up with a shit-eating grin, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
Peggy rolls her eyes and kicks him in the shin. Steve’s stern expression falters and he fights back a laugh. It’s really impossible to stay mad at these two.  
“We were just having a bit of fun,” Peggy says with a charming smile.  
Steve gives up, sighing and flopping down on the couch between them. “You could have at least put a sock on the door,” he grumbles, struggling to ignore the way they’ve both started nuzzling his neck.  
“I’m so sorry,” Peggy says dramatically, smiling against Steve’s cheek. Bucky laughs.  
“However will we make it up to you?” he murmurs, sliding his arm around Steve’s other side, pulling him close. Steve acquiesces, letting Bucky wrap himself around him with a small smile.  
“This is good,” he says, and they both laugh. Peggy kisses his cheek and settles back into the couch, stretching her legs across both of their laps.  
“What are we doing for lunch?” she says. “I’m starved.”  
“Same,” agrees Bucky, sitting up straight and letting Steve curl up against his side.  
“Hmm, I don’t really feel like cooking,” Steve whines. Bucky snorts.  
“’Course not. You never do.”  
“Hey, I cook plenty!” Steve shouts, twisting around to stick his tongue out at Bucky.  
“James, you’re the one who never wants to cook anything,” Peggy reminds him. Bucky scoffs.  
“S’cause you two never like what I make,” he grumbles.  
“Mac and cheese pizza is not a delicacy, Buck. It’s a disaster.” Steve narrows his eyes. “What do you wanna eat, Mr. Iron Chef?”  
Bucky smirks. “You totally love my cooking.” He ruffles Steve’s hair, and Steve swats his hand away. “Hell, I could just go for pizza at this point.”  
“We had pizza last night,” Steve points out.  
“Pizza is good every night!” Bucky looks to Peggy for support. “C’mon, babe, back me up here.”  
She shrugs. “If we order Domino’s you could get chicken instead.”  
This suggestion is met with shouts of disdain from both men.  
“What? What’s wrong with chicken?”  
“Dammit, Peggy, I said I wanted pizza!”  
“What are you implying here, Pegs?”  
“I mean real pizza! Jesus, it’s like you’re from another planet.”  
Peggy gives him her best deadpan stare. “Well, I am from England.”  
Steve pats Bucky’s arm, telling him to calm down. He turns to Peggy. “New Yorkers take pizza very seriously. You should’ve seen us when we went to Chicago.”  
“Jesus Christ,” Bucky mutters, shaking his head. “Don’t get me started.”  
“Anyway, Domino’s isn’t exactly what we’re looking for here.”  
“Alright then, geez. We’ll just order something else.”  
“I could go for Chinese, too,” Bucky offers.  
“Ooh, that sounds great. I’d love some lo mein.”  
“Alright, that’s settled.” Peggy shakes her head. “You’re both such children.”  
Steve twists around, leaning down next to Peggy. “You love me.”  
She smiles up at him fondly, giving him a gentle peck on the lips. “You’re still a child.”  
Bucky smiles at them both and pats Peggy’s legs. “Alright, mom, get up. It’s lunchtime.”  
Peggy rolls her eyes and swings her legs off Bucky’s lap. He stands up, leaving Steve to flop over on the other side of the couch. Steve groans and looks over at Peggy, who’s watching him with an amused expression.  
“So, who’s this Sam fellow?”  
Steve pales. “He’s just…someone I met jogging.”  
Peggy nods slowly, considering. “And what was he doing here?”  
“I—he likes Best Nauticals, and I had the new album, and I thought…” He stops, seeing Peggy fighting back giggles. “What’s so funny?”  
“You look like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar.” Steve flushes, looking down guiltily. He’s about to apologize but he stops short when he feels her hand on his arm. “Steve, it’s okay.” He looks up. “I trust you. I knew how this would work when we started seeing each other.”  
Steve nods. “I just…it wasn’t like I was dating him or anything, I swear. We just met today. I would tell you guys if anything serious happened.”  
“I know you would.”  
“I don’t want you to feel like I need something that you aren’t giving me, or that I’m not happy right now, because I am—“  
“Stevie, we know.” He turns to see Bucky standing in the doorway with the takeout menus. “Like she said, we both trust you.”  
Steve nods. “Thank you.”  
“However,” Bucky continues, walking over to the couch to stand in front of Steve. “This Sam kid is gonna have to pass my evaluation if he wants to date you.”  
Steve laughs. Bucky had been the same way when he’d first met Peggy. That she passed his tests with flying colors without getting even the slightest bit flustered was his first indication that he might be in love with this woman.  
“Well, I appreciate it. But I don’t think you’ll have to worry. As of now, Sam and I are just friends.”  
Bucky nods. “Well, good. I don’t think we’re ready for a fourth roommate.”  
“Definitely not,” agrees Peggy, and Steve nods.  
“Yeah, I think three’s enough for now,” he agrees, settling in against Bucky again. Peggy stretches back out across their laps as Bucky reaches for the phone, dialing the number for the takeout place.  
This is their life, and at the moment, it’s as close as Steve can get to perfect.

\--

When Pepper hears about the engagement, she cries.  
Natasha sits at the cafe table next to her, laughing silently as she clings to Rhodey, her squeals of delight muffled by his jacket. Tony stands beside him, hand locked in his, a look of unmistakable adoration on his face.  
“I can’t believe it, you finally did it, oh my god!” She pulls back, wiping her eyes and sniffling, and looks between the two of them. “When’s the wedding?”  
“We haven’t decided yet,” Rhodey says, amused. “We were…”  
He looks to Tony, who picks up his request. “We were hoping you might want to help us plan the ceremony.”  
Pepper’s jaw drops. Natasha fights back a snort as she scrambles for words, instead giving up and deciding to simply throw her arms around Tony’s neck, nearly knocking him over.  
“I take it that’s a yes?”  
Pepper squeals. “Absolutely, I would love to!”  
She untangles herself from Tony, and the three of them sit down around Natasha. Pepper turns to her, and she offers a wide smile, earning a giggle of delight in return.  
“It’s so exciting!” she says, and Natasha laughs. Pepper’s usually very calm and put together, but she’s been waiting for this for such a long time, her excitement is uninhibited. Natasha nudges her leg gently with her foot, and she flushes slightly, but gives her a shy smile all the same.  
“Like I said, we’re not sure about the date, but once we figure that out it’ll pretty much be your call.”  
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” She looks at Tony, her grin broadening again. “I can’t believe you’re finally getting married!”  
“Hard to believe,” Tony says dryly, but there’s fondness in his eyes when he looks over to Rhodey, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.  
Natasha’s attention suddenly turns to the door of the cafe, where in walk the trio that have been dominating Tony’s thoughts for the past week and a half. She exchanges a quick glance with Pepper, who stiffens as soon as she sees them. Steve has an arm wrapped around each of them, and from what she can tell they seem to be holding hands behind his back as well.  
“So anyway, I was thinking,” Tony begins. “Maybe we could talk to Janet, have Hope come in and--” He stops short, and Natasha can feel Pepper’s exasperated sigh.  
“Tony,” she says in a warning tone. Rhodey looks around, confused, until his gaze falls on the trio up front. He sighs and opens his mouth to speak, but Tony beats him to it.  
“I know, I know, okay, I’m sorry, I’ll be good.” To Natasha’s surprise, he really does make a concerted effort to look away. “So anyway, Hope could be the flower girl, you know, if that’s a thing you wanted to do.”  
“I don’t know, a flower girl is a bit cliche,” Pepper muses. “Unless you wanted something traditional. That’s up to you two.”  
“I don’t care much either way,” Rhodey interjects. “Nothing too elaborate. Money’s not much of an issue, but we can still keep it simple.”  
While they’re talking, Tony continues stealing glances at Steve and his lovers. Natasha wonders if maybe seeing the three of them all together will stir something in his simple mind. Especially since, from what she can see, they look to be putting on a show for him. Steve is acting just a bit more flirty than usual, and with both of them equally. When they go to order, Steve drops his arms and instead reaches for both of their hands. He glances quickly at their table, verifying that their usual group is present.  
Natasha’s pretty sure they look directly at Tony before James ducks his head, kissing Steve full on the mouth.  
Tony’s jaw drops, and try as she might, Pepper can’t pretend like she doesn’t notice. She cuts herself off mid-sentence, fixing him with a narrow-eyed glare.  
“Something wrong over there?”  
Tony looks like he’s going to answer, but a glance over at Rhodey stops him in his tracks. He clamps his mouth shut and sits back further, waving at Pepper to continue.  
Realizing that this is only going to get worse if someone doesn’t interfere, Natasha decides enough is enough.  
“You are so slow,” she drawls, rolling her eyes. Tony sits bolt upright and stares at her as if she had just grown an extra head.  
“You speak English,” he says. She raises an eyebrow. He looks between Pepper and Rhodey, pointing at her. “Did you know she spoke English?”  
“I kind of assumed, seeing as she’s in my class,” Pepper says with biting sarcasm.  
“Tony, for God’s sake,” Rhodey sighs, shaking his head.  
Natasha chooses to ignore the comment. “They are both his lovers, you dimwit.”  
The information comes as a shock to everyone at the table. Even Pepper, with all her disapproval of Tony’s curiosity, looks up at the trio in confusion.  
Unfortunately, the trio in question happens to be looking back, all staring at Tony with sly, indulgent grins.  
Pepper looks away immediately, cheeks turning pink. Rhodey shakes his head and looks at Natasha.  
“Seriously?” he says, genuinely curious.  
“Yes,” says a voice from behind Tony, and he jumps a foot in the air.  
“Jesus!” he yells, and turns around to face Steve.  
“You know, most people just ask us directly,” Peggy says, sidling up to Steve’s side.  
Tony splutters awkwardly. Rhodey shoots him and Pepper an I-told-you-so look, and Pepper ducks her head, still blushing furiously.  
“I’m so sorry about all this,” Rhodey says calmly. He nudges Tony. “He can be a little…”  
Peggy grins. “I know the feeling. It’s all right. I’ve seen worse reactions.”  
“So, that’s it?” Tony says. He gestures between the three of them. “You’re just...dating both of them.”  
“Yes,” Bucky confirms, still smirking. “This is my boyfriend, Steve, and his girlfriend, Peggy.”  
Tony nods slowly, working over the implications of that. He turns back to look at Rhodey, opening his mouth to speak.  
“No,” Rhodey says firmly, before Tony can say anything. Tony closes his mouth defiantly and pouts, but even Natasha can see that there’s not much heart in it.  
“Well, this has been fun,” says Pepper, swinging her legs off the side of the chair. “Really fantastic. Very informative. Let’s please never do it again.”  
Peggy snickers. “If you want, we can still go out sometime, just the two of us.”  
“Yes! That would be lovely. You and me, alone, somewhere far, far away from here. Natasha, you can come too, since you’re the only one here who doesn’t make me fucking crazy.”  
Natasha grins. “Thank you.”  
Pepper picks up her bag. “I’m going home now. Boys, I’ll talk wedding plans with you later. Natasha, I’ll see you Wednesday. Goodbye.”  
She leaves in a rush, hurrying to get out of there as soon as possible. Natasha chuckles. She’ll be back the next day, just like always.  
“Are you getting married?” Steve says to Tony, who nods.  
“Oh, how exciting!” gasps Peggy.  
“Yeah, I asked him last week,” Rhodey says proudly, and Natasha smiles.  
“Finally,” she murmurs.


	5. Epilogue

They get married six months later.  
It’s a quiet ceremony, modest as it can be while still carrying Tony’s personal flair. Pepper cries, surprising no one. Natasha stands beside her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders and patting her comfortingly.  
Bucky stands opposite them, on Rhodey’s left. Rhodey had chosen him as best man, and he was happy to accept. He towers over a very shy-looking Bruce Banner, who had reluctantly agreed to join Tony’s half of the wedding party. Altogether, they make a very interesting scene - the four of them dressed in deep red, framing the happy couple as Tony quips his way through his wedding vows.  
“Rhodey-kins,” he says in a baby voice, and Rhodey rolls his eyes, but his smile doesn’t fade.. “You are honestly the love of my life. And, all joking aside, I really can’t imagine life without you. You’re my lobster. And I love you. And now I’ve got the government involved, so you can’t leave.”  
Bucky snickers. Rhodey shakes his head and picks up.  
“You know, I was thinking that maybe your goddamn wedding would be the first time in your life you’d actually be serious.” Tony beams. “I should’ve known. But I guess if it was any different, you wouldn’t be the man I fell in love with.  
“Tony, believe me when I say that I don’t want to live in a world where I’m not constantly dealing with your bullshit. I will be the man to carry you through all of that, and more. I love you, Tony.”  
Pepper sniffles loudly, and Tony can’t fight back a laugh.  
“Sap,” he mutters, but he’s grinning ear to ear.  
“By the powers vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband.”

At Pepper’s suggestion, they agreed to each throw one of the girls’ bouquets at the reception. Tony grumbles that he would rather have taken off their garters, but Rhodey shuts him up with a well-timed glare.  
Rhodey goes first, chucking the bouquet into the crowd of girls. Pepper leaps for it, but falls short as it lands directly in Peggy’s face. Everyone goes quiet for a moment. Technically, this means she’ll be the next one to get married, and though it’s all a silly tradition, they still aren’t quite sure how this works with her situation.  
She looks around the room and locks eyes with Steve and Bucky, who are both looking at her expectantly. She looks uncomfortable for a moment, but her face splits into a grin, and she laughs, tossing the bouquet behind her.  
“Sorry, boys,” she says, falling into Steve’s lap and lounging across Bucky’s. She plants a kiss on each of their cheeks. “Not till I finish school.”  
The rest of the wedding party laughs at that, turning back to the floor, where Natasha stands with Peggy’s discarded bouquet. She turns to Pepper with a sly grin.  
“This means we will be married, no?”  
Pepper laughs and takes the flowers. “Well, maybe someday.” She smiles and kisses Natasha gently on the lips, much to the surprise of Tony.  
“Wait,” he says slowly, and Rhodey scoffs.  
“Not this shit again,” he groans, clapping Tony on the back. “Go on, get up there.”  
Tony takes the other bouquet and watches in disbelief as Pepper and Natasha sit down, arm in arm. He shakes his head and turns his attention to the group of boys that have congregated at the other end of the floor. He closes his eyes and launches the bouquet at them, where it lands directly in Sam’s outstretched hands. Tony grins.  
“Hey kid, congrats! Now you get to take off Peggy’s garter.”  
“No he doesn’t,” reply Rhodey, Bucky, and Steve in perfect unison.  
Sam laughs nervously. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

They’ve developed quite an interesting group dynamic over the past few months. Peggy, Bucky, and Steve have grown closer with all of them since the Incident, and Sam’s friendship with Steve has brought him into the fold as well.  
“You know,” Steve whispers in Sam’s ear, giggling and holding on to Peggy’s arm. “If you want to take off her garter, I won’t mind.”  
Peggy smacks him arm. “That’s enough mimosas for you.”  
“Don’t worry, Peggy,” Sam laughs. “I’m not into that.”  
On the night of their wedding, Tony and Rhodey couldn’t have picked a better group to be with. Their favorite power trio, Peggy and her boys. Sam, with his questionable music taste. Pepper, Tony’s right hand woman, and of course her Russian lady friend. Even Bruce, with all his social shortcomings, has developed a bond with the rest of them.  
“So, if you don’t mind me asking…”  
“Bruce, I’ve told you, it’s fine.” Peggy smiles good-naturedly. “Lots of people have questions. I understand.”  
“Right. So...do any of you ever get jealous?”  
Bucky laughs. “I did, at first. Well, definitely at first, since Peggy was dating the boy I was in love with.”  
Steve giggles. “He hated you, Pegs. It was awful.”  
“...anyway, it took some getting used to. But she’s good for him, I can’t deny that. So if he’s happy, I’m happy.”  
Bruce nods. “That’s...really big of you.”  
Peggy beams.

They all gather on the curb outside the reception hall to see the boys off as they drive to the airport. Pepper had no say in choosing the honeymoon destination, deciding to leave it up to Tony, so none of them are sure where they’re going. Their cab disappears down the road, and as they all retreat back to the building, Sam turns to face the rest of the group.  
“So who’s next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short plug for [Best Nauticals](https://soundcloud.com/best-nauticals), a band you should definitely check out. Steve, Sam, and Pepper would highly recommend it ;)
> 
> The art for this fic (done by the fabulously talented [vassalady](http://archiveofourown.org/users/vassalady/pseuds/vassalady)) can be found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3242960).
> 
> Thanks so much to my beta [Gwen](http://gwenofthesea.tumblr.com) and my cheerleader/idea-bouncer-offer [Lee](http://breathsolidified.tumblr.com). You guys are the best.


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